Away in a Manger is a popular Christmas Carol. Throughout history, many people believed that it was written by Martin Luther, the German religious reformer. Because of this, James R. Murray titled the tune “Luther’s Cradle Hymn” in 1887. Murray declared that Martin Luther had written the song and claimed that Luther sang it to his children every night before they went to sleep. Naturally, the story caught on and Luther’s popularity helped the song become even more beloved.
This all came as quite a surprise to German families of that period who did not sing Away in a Manger to their children at bedtime. They had never even heard of the song until it arrived in Europe….from the United States.
In reality, the first part of the song was most likely written in the mid-1800s in America for children to sing at Christmastime. No one knows who wrote it, but the tune was composed by J. E Clark and Charles Hutchinson Gabriel, music directors at their perspective churches. Some of the confusion about Martin Luther might be explained because the last stanza of the song was likely added to the traditional carol by him.
In Martin Luther’s time, the church had begun to believe certain tenets that the Bible didn’t teach. Since most people didn’t own a Bible of their own, they relied on others, like Luther, to teach them what the Bible said. A catchy song was a good way to teach the truths of the Bible in a memorable way. The last stanza of the song goes …
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And Love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to Heaven
To live with Thee there.
Luther was teaching that Jesus came as a baby at Christmastime but he didn’t come to earth to stay a baby in a manger. Jesus came to make God’s love available to us in a practical way. Jesus came so we can have a close, personal relationship with God. Jesus came to give us the promise of Heaven one day.
What way do you need to accept God’s love today? The Bible has A LOT to say about God’s love. Romans 8:37-39 reminds us
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.